Scotland striker Kevin Kyle relished returning to his homeland as he led the line superbly for Sunderland at Hibernian yesterday.

Scotland striker Kevin Kyle relished returning to his homeland as he led the line superbly for Sunderland at Hibernian yesterday.

And former Stranraer ferries baggage handler Kyle's timing couldn't have been better!

Club record buy Tore Andre Flo bagged a brace as Sunderland's second string won 8-1 at Durham City yesterday.

But Kyle demonstrated his determination to justify Mick McCarthy's decision to hand him Sunderland's No 9 shirt for the season with an enterprising display.

Besides scoring with a cracking header, Kyle, 22, held the ball up well all afternoon - and worked tirelessly for the team, much to McCarthy's delight.

"I've given him the No 9 shirt and I can't give him a bigger vote of confidence than that - he's my preferred choice of striker," McCarthy said.

"I've told him what I think he has to offer - we talk all the time and there are things he can improve on but he's always a threat.

"He scored with a fantastic header and I want goals out of him - we're making demands on Kyle and I want him to upset defences and create chances for other people too.

"As long as he keeps on doing that he'll be my first choice - he's a Scottish international already but if Berti Vogts wants to know anything else about him he can give me a ring."

Slowly but surely McCarthy is putting some backbone back into the Black Cats, and the ovation his players were given at the final whistle showed the 2000 travelling supporters appreciated it.

The former Republic of Ireland boss roasted his players after Huddersfield Town defeated them last Wednesday and his words obviously didn't fall on deaf ears.

Because having gone 2-1 behind after Kevin Kyle had given them the lead, Sunderland certainly didn't lie down - and John Oster's late leveller was the very least they deserved.

"I'm not happy with the goals we conceded obviously, but I think all those fans who travelled up here to support us saw us at least keep going and get something out of the game," McCarthy added.

Hibs had the ball in the Sunderland net inside five minutes but Scott Brown's effort was rightly scratched as he fouled Craddock as he won possession.

But McCarthy's men went close themselves a minute later though, when Zambernardi let in Thornton whose fierce drive forced a fine save from Hyldgaard.

Kyle made a half chance for himself on the half-hour mark, forcing a close-range save from Hyldaard, but he fired Sunderland in front three minutes later powering a tremendous header in off the bar from Thornton's corner.

But Hibs' half-time sub Scott Dobbie undid all Sunderland's good work on 57 minutes when he latched onto a long ball through the middle to flick beyond Poom.

Then Dobbie, 20 -a summer signing from Rangers - doubled his tally four minutes later, firing home from 15 yards after an error by McCartney.

Stephen Wright crashed a header against the bar on 66 minutes as Sunderland went in search of an equaliser.

Then Kyle went close too, forcing a fine save from Hyldgaard after a splendid Oster pass set him free.

The equaliser Sunderland had been threatening came on 82 minutes when a great run and cross from Kilbane set up Oster to net from a narrow angle.

And Kyle went within a whisker of rounding off a great performance by poaching the winner when his curling drive was brilliantly tipped around the post by Hyldgaard.